New World Project: Fantasia
by Roy Rainyday
Summary: A lone knight with his princess charge have somehow ended up in Gensokyo. Supplied only with their own respective knowledge and skills, watch as the two make friends, enemies, rivals and figure out that there is no such thing as common sense in the Land of Fantasy.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a completely different story than my first one, and some of you might be asking why I'm releasing another story right after I have just posted my first one. Well, what can I say, I love writing.**

 **This is a unique Touhou story with two main self insert. Please note the fantasy genre that is indicated on the summary, as it will be the main influence of the whole story. This story is also inspired by several existing Role Playing Games like Brave Frontier, Dragon Quest and much more.**

 **Please give this story a chance, hope that you will enjoy this.**

* * *

"Princess, stay close."

"Um… alright, Carter."

Carter Valentino is not having a great day. He is tired, irritated, hurt, low on magic and most of all, fatigued. He has to suppress the strong urge to wince with every step he takes to walk. The fact that he is in full gear; plate armor protecting him from head to toe, makes the feeling of pain even more unbearable. He'd take them off in an instance, but there's really no telling when he will use them again, so he might as well wear it. He leads a young, smaller girl by her right hand, guiding her through the path of this eerie forest that they are walking in currently.

Carter cannot tell how or when did they end up here, but he is convinced that it has something to do with magic. Yes, magic. Though the practice is only known personally to a few, it most certainly exists. When he was still a young trainee soldier, barely a knight, much less the princess's personal guard, he was required to delve into the matter. The arcane arts are something he is glad to have delved into, as it has saved his life more than once. Magic is primarily used to cast spells. Spells come in different kinds. There is a fireball spell, an offensive spell that allows the user to cast a fireball for lethal combat. There is also a healing spell, allowing the user to heal physical injuries.

"Carter… where are we…?" the murmuring of the young girl comes out as scared.

Carter can't blame her. This forest is eerily haunting, though it is still morning, he can barely make out the trees. If his senses prove him right, then he's also detecting magic from this place. Why would a forest have magic? That makes no sense…

"Princess Katharina, I do not know. I am as clueless as you are." Carter tries to deliver his words softly. "But do not worry princess, I will protect you, it is my duty as your knight…" he pauses. "And… friend."

Through the visor of his metal helmet, he can see Katharina looking up to him with a small smile. He can't help but smile in return, even though she can't see it.

He is twenty five years old, and Katharina is sixteen. He'd known her ever since she was five, and during that time, he is already a knight. The youngest person to have ever made it into knighthood. Katharina Troy Espada is the rightful heir to the Kingdom of Burganlicht. She is the heir to the throne, the next Queen, daughter to Karliah Mercia Espada… but seeing their current fate of being stranded in a place that is not even home, Carter doubts that she will ever claim the throne. Regardless, he still has to protect her. He swore an oath that binds his life, sword and everything to be used for her the safety of her life.

Katharina's late mother, Karliah, was the nicest woman he'd ever known. Him being an orphan with no real family, she was the first to have ever shown him kindness. When he attempted to swipe the purse of the guard next to her, she called her men to stand their weapons down, sparing him from a rightful death. From that moment, he knew that his life was no longer his, but for her. Unfortunately… Empress Karliah passed away, her death caused by an assassin's dagger. Ever since then, Karliah has shut herself off from the rest of the castle, not opening up her room's doors for the maids to come in and change her clothes, not even accepting supper. Her uncle, the Duke of Burganlicht, was crowned as a temporary King to the Kingdom. The Duke is a kind man; he tried everything that he could in order to make his niece forget the grief of loss.

When he made it into knighthood, his very first order was to act as Katharina's guard as well as her caretaker. It seems weird, for a fourteen year old teen to be in charge of the princess who was only five during that time. Their first meeting was not something grand, in fact, it was a disaster. Katharina threatened to stab herself with a knife that she had sneaked out from the kitchen if her uncle would not leave her alone. Carter knew his job, and he acted. He roughly disarmed the knife from the girl's hand, but the he got careless and the knife was plunged right into his shoulder. Katharina, being younger at that time, was not very accepting with the sight of blood; much less the one shed by her.

Luckily, the stab was nothing and he healed in no time. When he returned to his post as Katharina's guard, the princess approached him, handed him a bouquet of yellow chrysanthemums, with her face melting into tears. She cried like a child, not that she wasn't one in the first place, but it was pretty shocking for Carter too. Not knowing what to do, he hugged her, momentarily forgetting his position as a mere knight while she is in fact the princess of the Kingdom. From there, their relationship grew closer, and the wall between them was crushed.

Katharina means the whole world to him, maybe even more. She's like a shy little sister who is kind and forgiving even to those who does not deserve it.

"Carter… I'm hungry…"

Carter clicks his tongue. "So am I princess. Please be patient, if there is something safe for eating, I will give them to you."

This reminds him of the survival training that all knight trainees must do in order to become full fledge knights. They would round up the trainees into one caravan, before dropping them off in a random forest somewhere far away from the Kingdom. They had their ears, eyes and other senses blocked, so that there's no way for them to tell the direction they came from. With only their swords and clothing, they have to survive the wild and make their way back to the Kingdom. Out of the one thousand trainees that were sent, roughly half of them made it back alive, some were even injured and were relieved from training immediately. He was one of those trainees that survived, and it was well.

As soon as they realized that they are lost, people started to form groups with leaders who promised to lead them all back safe and sound to the Kingdom. Carter was not proud to admit it, but his not one for camaraderie. He blames his younger years as a street orphan for that. In the end, he entered a group of other trainees just like him. All of them were older than him, and he was the youngest out of all the trainees sent. Of course, he suffered a different treatment, being treated more as a pack mule instead of a person. Despite that, he didn't fight back. He saw no reason trying to beat some sense into rocks, he'll only hurt his arms. Hours became days, and days became weeks; by the end of the first week, they were all starved.

Those who were skillful enough died early, those who couldn't keep themselves sane succumbed to the fear and insanity of being loss and committed suicide. It was not a good memory. His group, dubbed the Lionhearths by their so called leader who came from a noble house, was no different. They were constantly hungry, tired and fighting. It's not strange if they don't argue in each day they're out in the wilderness. Fights happened too, with everyone in the group threatening to kill each other. That experience taught Carter something. Humans, when they've had their sense of pride and safety crushed, are nothing more than savage beasts. They'd kill, steal and destroy everything for their own selfish desire.

A particular example was when they had to divide food portion. Apparently, they all sucked at hunting, and the best result that they'd get was either rabbits or grubs. As in only one of those, not four or six rabbits, but only one. Him being the youngest, he only gets the smallest piece. The others would brawl for the better portion. Long story short, it wasn't long until one of them started to murder the other. It got bloody quicker than a young maiden during her moon cycle period.

He was the only survivor of his pathetic group. He's alive, but still out in the wild. It took him four months to return to the Kingdom and he remembers fainting the moment he entered the front gates.

So, lesson learned, he now hates forests. Period.

The sound of his metal armor clinking and clanking echoes the forest's eerie background. A man in a suit of armor, leading a young girl through a creepy and possibly haunted forest would make a good bedtime story… the problem is now, they have no way of telling whether or not that it'd be a happy ending.

Carter's nose smells something cooking from the distant. This sudden action causes him to stop, setting up a chain reaction for the girl behind him. He looks around, armor clinking as he does so.

Katharina looks at her guard confusedly, her head tilted. "What is it, Carter?"

"Do you smell that?" Carter says, questioning. "It smells good."

Katharina looks doubtful, but she is reminded of the person who she is talking to. She trusts her bodyguard/friend's words and sniffs the air. Her bright carmine eyes widen when the smell of something delicious is registered by her smell receptors.

"There must be people, if not someone ahead." Carter says a little bit determined from before. "But we still need to be careful, there's no telling whether they're friendly or not." The both of them hope that it is the former, because their stomach is getting unbearable now.

The two ventures onward, deeper into the forest, their sense of fatigue temporarily lifted up due to the smell of something delicious diffusing in the air. As they walk, the smell gets even stronger, this acts for fuel for their feet to move faster than before. It doesn't take long until Carter spots something glowing from within the tree lines. He slows down his walking pace, causing Katharina to do the same. Carter gestures for Katharina to stick close to him, as he peeks through the shrubs to observe their point of interest.

He raises his helmet's visor for clearer view, and immediately, both joy and nervousness fills his heart.

Before them, in a small clearing somewhere in this forsaken forest, is a group of people with tents erected and a fireplace keeping them warm and food cooked. Carter sees that there are men and women in the group, the women preparing the food while the men are chopping woods and erecting more tents. He'd be lying if he says that his gaze isn't fixed to the foods being cooked. It seems that Katharina has joined him in peeking too, but she's less subtle in hiding her hunger. After several more seconds of surveying the area, Carter and Katharina retreats back to discuss their plans.

"Alright princess, here is what we will do." He clears his throat. "We will walk in there with our arms raised and we will do it slowly. I can't really hear what they were saying but there is a high chance for them speaking a different language than ours." She nods attentively. "If they are nice people, then let me do the talking." His expression turns grim. "But if they aren't… I'll take care of things from there."

The light from the girl's eyes slowly fades away at hearing Carter's words. No matter how many times she's seen it, she can never like killing. Killing is just… bad. It is cruel and it's something she detests so dearly. Her heart aches with the very mention of the word kill. However, she is not dumb. She knows that the brave knights and soldiers of her Kingdom needed to sacrifice their life for the safety of their home. And it is her sin and weight to bear the moment she becomes an Empress.

Incapable of saying anything, Katharina can only nod stiffly. She feels a rough leathered surface touching the crown of her head, messing her golden waterfall like hair.

"Good girl." Carter holds his sword tight, before releasing his grip from it. "Now, let's go."

* * *

Moriyama Daisuke has been a caravan leader for about twenty years now. He is now fifty six, and is due for retirement this year. Despite that, he's not keen on letting his lazy son take over his position of a caravan leader. Not if he wants to see his people dead, starving and complaining. There's no fighting old age, but let a man fight for as long as he wants, until Shinigami-sama Himself take his life.

The caravans of Gensokyo are headquartered in the Human Village, obviously because it is originated there. The caravans' main purpose is to act as delivery carriages in order to deliver supplies, people and sometimes special items to all parts of Gensokyo. It's a dangerous job, hence the strict requirement for joining the group. Every male who wished to join must at least serve as a guard in the village for a year of their life. For the women, it is required for them to know a little thing or two about medicine. It seems like a fair requirement.

They are in the middle of the journey back to the village. Their job was a simple job of sending a month worth of supplies to a smaller settlement further away from the village. It usually takes about one or two days, depending on the safety of the roads in order for a depart and return journey. Luckily, the roads were safe for them to take, so this trip will be quick. Currently, Daisuke is sitting down accompanied by his men, holding on to a bowl of warm stew that one of the women in the caravan had kindly offered him.

They're telling stories, mostly about their wives who are waiting for their return back at home. For those whose wives are here, they are quietly eating their stew like tamed pets under the watchful eyes of their wives. He's mighty glad that his wife isn't here…

"So let's take a break for this month, eh chief?" one of the men, dressed in a grey kimono and hakama, nudges the older leader with his elbow. "There's bound to be a full moon this month, right? Them yokais are gonna get scary if we make trips out of the village."

It is true. Though youkai threats are not that often as it is before, it'd be unwise for them to make a journey right in the middle of a full moon. Daisuke remembers what his father used to tell him, the story of his own experience as a caravan leader. There was a time where the caravans had to take trips out of the village to make delivery runs to multiple settlements under a night of a full moon. Everyone would turn up sick the next day, asking for leave. Those who stayed were either cold feet or shaky like a can full of beans. The departure was as early as possible in the morning, so that they could make their journey under the light of the sun, but since it they were dealing with not just one settlement, they had to face the night eventually.

When night descended, it became dangerous. Everything is alive. The trees, the ground, the animals and even the wind itself would act as if they are active.

Daisuke remembers the horrified, pained and guilt filled look that his father would make whenever he'd tell him the story. At the end of the journey, they returned with the bodies of the men who died protecting the caravans from yokai attacks. His one armed father could never sleep after telling him that story, now that Daisuke is old; he knows why his father told him that story over and over again despite the haunting experience.

It's so that he could let that feeling out. All that guilt, trauma if not released will eventually combust into something negative.

"HEY! WHO'S THERE?!"

A shout snaps the old caravan leader out from his inner thoughts. Instinctively grabbing the hilt of his katana, Daisuke runs with light but lighting fast steps, arriving at the scene. He keeps his eyes fixed on the two figures identified by his men as they come out from their hiding spot. Daisuke's grip on the hilt tightens when he sees a tall, dark armored figure emerging from the trees. Yet at the same moment, his eyes falter when he sees a young, terrified girl with both of her hands raised in the air.

"What are your intentions here?!" A man shouted, sword already pointed at the two strangers.

It's as if the past, present and future have walked in at the same time. It got tense.

Daisuke notices that the armored one also has his hands raised, showing no hostility. Daisuke steps forward, taking his place as a rightful leader. His stare turns into a stern glare, watching the two for the slightest bit of move that they make.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Daisuke begins first. He cannot see the expression on the armored individual's face, but the young girl's face expresses confusion.

The armored one steps forward, raising a few alarms. The caravan people hear him talk, but they cannot make out what he is saying. Daisuke comes to a quick conclusion, one that makes him let go of the hilt of his sword entirely.

"Outsiders." The old leader states loud enough for everyone to hear. "It's okay everyone, they are outsiders." But he is not telling them to lower their guard even a bit. "Takumi, Akio; with me."

With the company of two men, Daisuke approaches the pair who has now lowered their hands. The humans in the Human Village are taught of methods to communicate with outsiders should they ever encounter one. Basically, it's sign language that does not require any speech skills.

" _Helmet. Take off."_

The knight seems hesitant, but a look from the young girl reassures him. He takes off his helmet, showing Daisuke and his two men his face. Daisuke takes note of the young man's short but shaggy blonde hair, sharp blue eyes and angular jaw. Definitely an outsider.

" _At ease. Not enemies."_

Seeing the gesture, the blonde haired man who is in armor lets out a sigh of relief. The old caravan leader notes that the girl is now hiding behind the armor wearing man, are they related?

" _You two. Names?"_

The knight steps forward. His mouth opens, saying, "Caa-taah." He then gestures to the girl who is hiding behind him. "Kaa-taa-rina."

"Caa-taah…?" Daisuke tests the name with his mouth, definitely an outsider's name. He doesn't bother repeating the girl's name. _"You two. From. Where?"_

The hesitation returns, and it seems that the both of them can't really say anything.

" _Kingdom."_ Carter replies back in sign language. _"Not. From here."_

So his name is Carter, the girl's Katharina and they come from a Kingdom? This is the third time that they've confirmed to him of being an outsider. It is then when Daisuke's eyes notice the metal hilt on Carter's hip.

" _Sword. For what?"_

Carter turns his head to look at his sword he has strapped to the sheath on his hilt.

" _Knight."_

"Naaiito…?" Natto?

" _Warrior. Code. Of. Chivalry."_

"Samurai…?"

Carter blinks several times at hearing the unfamiliar word. _"What?"_

Daisuke shakes his head. _"Nothing. Now. What will. You do?"_

Carter and Katharina look at each other.

" _Hungry. Food. Allowed?"_

Daisuke sighs. He gives his two men a look. "Ask them to prepare two more bowls and two seats in the caravan, my cart."

The two men leave to do what they are instructed to do.

Daisuke sighs, this day is getting even more troubling. What's next, youkais attacking?

" _Come. Follow. Eat."_

* * *

Watching someone eat has never been so intense. It must've been days ever since Carter and Katharina ate, judging by the way they're wolfing down the rice, soup and veggies that are served to them. Especially in Katharina's case, since she's so small and young. The men in the caravans watch with intent as the armor wearing man finish his third serving of stew, he wipes the trail of smudges and stew from the corner of his lips with the leather part of his gauntlets.

The girl finishes her food the moment the older blonde finishes his, they both simultaneously let out a sigh of content and satisfaction after having eaten the food that was served.

Carter knows his manners, and so does Katharina, but the girl has no way of expressing them.

" _Thank you. Delicious."_

Daisuke laughs. _"You're welcome."_

Carter is glad that these people are not a bunch of savages or barbarians. They are kind enough to have shared some of their food to them, and receiving nothing in return. The knight cannot help but admire the large wooden cart. It is like the one that Katharina used back at home outside of the castle, but less fancy and way larger since it managed to fit about fifteen men inside.

It is moving too, dragged by many strong steeds.

"Where. Are we. Going?" Carter cannot help but ask.

"Village. Return. Home."

Oh. It seems that these people are making their journey back home. Now he feels bad for delaying their return. Regardless, what's done is done. He can only be thankful to these people.

Daisuke's eyes are fixed on the man's armor. He's seen a few shares of armors in his life, but none were as fancy as the one Carter is wearing. The material alone is different, and must be a lot heavier from the looks of it. But Carter is not even sweating, doesn't he feel hot wearing that thing?

" _Armor. Special."_

"O-Oh…" Daisuke blanches at being caught staring. _"Is that so? How?"_

" _Metal. Blessed. Magic. Makes. Harder."_

So the metal is apparently blessed and magic makes it harder… wait a minute.

" _Magic? You. Use?"_ Daisuke asks back.

" _Yes. Protect. Katharina."_

So Daisuke's not wrong to assume that they are related. But how related, specifically?

" _She. Who?"_

Carter looks puzzled.

Daisuke corrects his signs. _"She. Relation. You."_

" _Katharina. Princess. Me. Guard."_

So the little girl is a princess and the man is her guard?

" _And…"_ the knight continues. _"Friend."_

"I see…" Daisuke mutters in Japanese. _"Wait. Need. Talk. People."_

Carter gives the older man an understanding nod.

Daisuke gathers his men, huddling up in a group.

"So here's the deal. Basically, these two came from a kingdom that is definitely not from here, their relationship is of a princess and her personal bodyguard, he's apparently similar to a samurai, he can use magic and we're going to have to bring them in to Keine-sama when we reach the village." Daisuke summarizes the conversation he had with the knight from earlier. "Kato, tell my wife that I'll be coming home late."

"Alright." Daisuke claps. "Everyone out from my cart and return to your posts, don't want to leave them emp-

The horses neighed in alarm as the caravan stops along with it. Screams can be heard following the chain of events, soon later, everyone is out of their carts.

"YAMABITO! THE YAMABITO ARE ATTACKING!"

Daisuke's blood freezes cold instantly as he swiftly grabs his sword, jumping out from his cart. He runs straight ahead towards the front of the caravan. He is joined by several of his men, all of them equally as ready as him. "Everyone, protect the people and don't let the Yamabitos attack our caravan! And be careful!"

Yamabitos are a constant threat for caravans, just like any other yokais. Rumor has it that the Yamabitos are actually aboriginal people who have been driven away to live at the mountains by the inhabiting Japanese who was quickly growing in numbers, hence their name. They are tall and heavyweight people, taking on the appearance of oversized, ridiculously tall humans and towering over them like giants. They care little for clothing, the only thing they're wearing are bone necklaces as well as hand wraps made out of long leaves and vines. Their strength is impressive, really nothing to be trifled with; some say that they could even rival that of an Oni's. However, the Yamabitos are rarely seen bare handed, as they prefer to have the company of their trusty rock or wooden clubs with them to be used as a bludgeon or hammer.

"Masao! Hiro!" Daisuke begins shouting orders as the approaching horde of Yamabito is stampeding in. "Arrows ready!" his plan is to try and damage them as much as they could, maybe even scoring several lucky hits, crippling some of them. He believes in the strength of his men and their skills at the same time.

The incoming stampede draws nearer and the archers are already at full draw.

Daisuke sees the opportunity and releases the order.

"FIRE!"

Hiro and Masao along with several other archers with arrows, let loose of their grip in order to rain flint and feather into the incoming horde of Yamabito. Yamabito are known as looters, they steal and will kill in order to get what they want. The arrows proved to be useful, as several of the running giants topple over when small arrows began piercing their heads, face, limbs and chest areas.

Daisuke feels relieved. "We did it!" but it's not the time to be celebrating just yet. "The rest of you, finish them!" now that the giants are crippled, his men will finish the deed and kill the wounded in order to prevent. A squadron of men with swords raised marches forward, planning to do their task as quickly as possible. Killing is one thing, but no one wants to be near a horde of raging Yamabitos, regardless of being wounded or not.

"Chief! Bad news!" a cry comes from the back. "They're attacking from the back!"

"WHAT!?" The coldness returns and Daisuke momentarily freezes. His mind is close on shutting down. The caravan is a long line, there's no way for him to gather up forces and set up defense there in time.

"By the Gods! They have a giant among them!"

A giant is the term used to refer to Yamabitos who are as tall as a two storied building, they are larger, faster and way stronger than the rest of the smaller ones. Forget the ones they just took out, if there's a Giant amongst the attackers, they're screwed all the way to Sunday. In his frozen state, Daisuke sees a fast, dark shadow sweeping through his vision.

His mind regains itself, as he shouts, "Wait! Don't go there!"

Carter, the armored warrior, ignores Daisuke's cry. Daisuke sees the armored man, despite wearing something as cumbersome as his suit, running through the roofs of the caravan carts with great speed and finesse. Carter has his sword drawn, black metal glinting darkly underneath the sun.

The giant Yamabito lets out a deafening and frightening roar as it topples trees and boulders that stand on his path of destruction. His minions, the smaller Yamabitos, are nearing the caravans. It's a nightmarish sight, a scenery of certain death playing out before the caravan people.

" _ **Einhänder: Schrägstrich."**_

Daisuke and his men, who have arrived at the scene, watches with great amazement as the knight in black armor delivers a diagonal slashing motion with one hand. A torrent of invisible air sweeps the dust, rocks and branches in all directions; but the most damage are done to the Yamabitos. The earlier stampeding horde is no more; no more than pieces of flesh and chunks of meat bleeding away to rot as the crows peck on them for food.

The mix of grotesque and disgusting display of blood and gore drenching almost the entire forest's floor in the area is interrupted by the sudden action from the giant Yamabito. Carter does not move when the giant swings down an equally large stone club at him.

"GET OUT OF THERE!" Daisuke shouts, seeing that it is too late.

But what he thought might happen, does not happen. In fact, what happens is something he did not expect even a little bit.

The knight in black armor dances his way around the blow, away from impact. Everyone is at lost, but they spot him running up on the giant's arm, sword still held in one hand. The giant's slow thinking registers this fact too late, but Carter is already at its shoulder. The knight jumps high to the sky above, creating a breathtaking display of a figure in shining dark armor, looming over the giant with his sword raised in a stabbing motion.

The caravan people watch in silent amazement, they notice the cuts that appear on the giant's arm. Carter must have made them the moment he ran up!

Carter gathers magic from his center, steadying the flow before ultimately channeling it into his sword. The black long sword is covered in a golden miasma, shining even brighter than the sun. Yet the same time, there's no missing the sparks of electricity that courses through the blade. It makes for a dangerous and an even more frightening sight than the giant itself!

" _ **Einhander: Flammenblitz!"**_

Like the will sent down by the Gods from the heavens above, he became both lighting and the sun themselves.

The attack tears through the giant's thick skull, simultaneously frying and burning every single cell in his body. It lets out a pained and agonizing roar of being incinerated and electrocuted at the same time, while feeling the physical stab of the attack. The giant's skin turns coal black, scorched from both inside and out, the knight that did the attack jumps off, landing effortlessly on the ground and when he fully sheathes his sword back to its scabbard, the giant beast collapses. After the echoing resonance of the giant's humongous form hitting the ground, the forest is left with the silence it is famed for.

"CARTER!"

Everyone's eyes are drawn to the running girl who latches herself to the armored knight, hugging him despite the blood that stains her blouse. The knight responds by returning the embrace with one of arm, as his other one is too bloody to use. Carter is distracted when he sees Daisuke approaching with several of his armed men, looking tired yet relieved at the same time.

" _You. Okay?"_ Daisuke begins using sign language, but the concern still shows on his face.

"Me. Fine. People?" Carter returns the gesture, a hint of questioning at the last sign.

Daisuke nods, letting his answer known. _"People. Fine. Some. Injured."_

Carter does not respond for a moment, and Daisuke can't really tell what he is thinking since he's wearing his helmet. Then the knight begins using sign language again, saying, _"Bring. Wounded. Here. Heal."_ He makes rubbing gestures with his gauntlet hand, rubbing the armor plating as if imitating a healer rubbing ointment to a wound.

Daisuke seems unsure at first, then he is reminded of what the knight just did to that giant. Speaking of which, its corpse is still littered there as if nothing has happened. He would ask his men to discard it, but there is really no point, since they have injured people to take care of.

The old caravan leader nods his head, accepting Carter's proposal of healing the injured. There are not many injured, but some might be vital if not treated correctly. The furthest cart had been damaged, and it conveniently contains several of their first aids equipment. His men have scavenged little of what's left intact, but the result is not much. It's still a long six hours trip to the Human Village and they will reach home right at midnight, it will be unbearable for those who are injured if they have to wait that long.

" _Okay. I. Depend. You."_

Carter's armor clinks as he nods. _"Understand."_

* * *

Just a while later, the caravan proceeds with their return journey once again. Inside a bigger cart, Carter, Katharina, Daisuke and several women and men who are knowledgeable in healing are busy tending to the injured. They have used up most of the salvaged medical ingredients in healing less than half of those who are injured. Carter has left his helmet under Katharina's care, and the princess is watching while occasionally cringing at the sight of blood and wounds. However, she still desires to help.

Daisuke has just been informed of the shortage of medical ingredients. He approaches Carter who is tending to an injured caravan folk, dressing the man's wound. _"You. Heal. Now?"_

Carter takes his attention off the moaning man, nodding his head as he gives Daisuke his answer. _"I. Can."_ Daisuke steps aside as he watches the knight approach his little company.

Carter kneels down, matching his height with Katharina's. He places a hand on the girl's head, indicating her that he wants to speak.

"Princess, I need your help." He speaks in a soft voice. "I need you to supply me with magic so that I can heal these people, think you could do that for me?"

Without hesitation or doubt, Katharina nods her head vigorously. "Yes! Please, let me help!"

A gentle smile tugs its way across Carter's normally stoic face, he gives the girl's head several soft pats before bowing. "Thank you for the assistance, princess."

With the amount of mana he has with him right now, he can't afford to heal all of the injured without suffering from exhaustion. That final technique he used when fighting the giant is something careless, he shouldn't do that again, unless if it's really necessary. Now that he thinks about it… maybe it is necessary. There is something that makes Katharina special, it is the very reason why her mother died in the first place. Though the fact is hidden from her, it is no secret that the Princess of Burganlicht has a very large mana pool with potent magical energy flowing in it. It makes every spells she performs ten times as powerful. If she is to cast a small and simple fireball spell, it will be an equivalent to the power and heat of a small sun. It's that dangerous.

She is learning hard to control her powers, but seeing as they are no longer in their home, there's no telling if the princess could progress more in harnessing her innate power.

Carter returns to the injured man he was tending just moments ago, now with the company of Katharina and Daisuke who is more interested to watch rather than help, since he lacks medical knowledge. Katharina positions herself on the opposite side of Carter, occupying the empty space right beside the injured man's side.

Carter slowly lifts his hand, palms opened and directed at the patient's body. The two foreigners have both of their eyes closed, facial expression relaxed and mind calmed down.

" **Dämmerlicht: Heilen."** The effect is almost instant. With her palms over his, Katharina is directly supplying Carter with her own magical energy. Carter does not have to use his own reserves; his job is to direct Katharina's energy into the application of the spell. She supplies him with the fuel, and he is the machine that gets the job done. The bruises, gashes and other physical scarring that may leave any marks are healed and no traces of them have been made possible of having existed.

Daisuke's eyes could not contain the amazement that's building up inside. Folks of Gensokyo are no strangers to things like magic, supernatural powers; heck it's what this place's all about! However, this is his first time seeing someone performing a magical spell up close. When the spell dies down, the healed patient has already fallen into slumber. It is just a side effect of being subjected to that particular healing spell, though there are others that does not have any side effects at all, this one's the most effective for treating a patient with an injury of this type.

The pair begins working to heal the rest of the injured, it takes them not even hour until everyone is resting peacefully. Carter's opened arms are already there to accept Katharina's fallen form. She has grown exhausted, a common predicament to those who has overused their magic. He lets the tiara wearing princess sleep in his opened arms.

"Thank you princess."

In her slumber, Katharina drifts off to a pleasant dream.

* * *

 **Introduction between Carter and Katharina to the Touhou characters will be done in the next chapter, and if you like fantasy adventure, RPG styled story, I can guarantee that you will like this one. I am accepting ideas and suggestions as well, so please review or PM me.**


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as the caravans come to a halt, Carter knows that things are going to get even more complicated from here onwards. Daisuke told him that as soon as they reach their destination, he and Katharina would need to come with him in order to get some things settled. Carter has the feeling that they're going to interrogate him, but Daisuke promised to speak in their favor. He helps Katharina hop off the caravan's front most cart, holding her by the hand. The princess smiles in gratitude, and Carter returns it with a slight curt.

The two are soon approached by Daisuke. The caravan leader must be tired, so Carter really appreciates him going all the way for the both of them.

" _You. Two. Ready_?" Daisuke is getting used to using gestures in communicating, which explains why his delivery is better than before.

Carter gives a nod, his intimidating tall form makes it hard to believe that a person like him even existed. As usual, he has Katharina holding his hand so that he could keep her safe at all times, though this is not how he usually does it. It has always been fine to let her roam around back at the Kingdom, but they're in an entirely different place now. He can't afford to act lenient and letting Katharina into danger. Because what happened during the middle of the trip before was a hint that explicitly told him that he will need to be extra careful. Still, who would've thought that there are actually monsters in this land?

Monsters are not a common thing back home. Giants, dragons, wyverns, goblins… they're all dangerous and definitely are not very friendly with humans. However, there are dragons and wyverns tamed by the Burganlicht Kingdom in order to be used as cavalry. They are tamed by what one would call a Dragon Knight, a Knight still enlisted under the Burganlicht Knight's Order and are famous for their dragon riding skills. It's not easy to tame one, from what his fellow knights would say. You'd have to beat the dragon into submission, show that you're stronger and slowly build up some sort of connection with it.

Considering how tough, had skinned, dangerous and deadly dragons are; it makes the thought of taming one impossible. But believe it or not, there are quite a lot of Dragon Knights up in the ranks.

" _Okay. Follow. Stick. Close."_ Daisuke gestures the signs in order to let Carter know that he and the young miss should stick close together.

Since the caravans are parked right outside of the village's gates, they walk to the main gates with Daisuke leading the pair. Carter's eyes are fixed at the tall, wide and most definitely sturdy wooden gates that looks more like a wall instead of a mere gate. Though they are not as big as the Kingdom's main gates, it is still considerably tall and large, making it not so surprising if this place is well protected from the dangers that lurk outside of the walls.

Daisuke has the gates opened, having shouted earlier presumably so that people from the other side could open the gates for them. The dragging of wood on the dirt causes a small shaking, due to the sheer size of it. The village is in view, showing Carter and Katharina a wide street with buildings on both sides, lined up orderly. Carter is impressed. For a settlement that is similar to a village, this place is really huge. There are a lot of people too, the central hub must be right ahead. Two men dressed in what Carter assumes to be stacked metal pauldrons and bulky chestplates walks in, stopping before them.

"Halt! Identify yourself!"

Daisuke waves a hand, getting the guard's attention. "It's me, we're back from a job." The middle aged man says with a gruff voice.

One of the guard notices the man, and is slightly surprised. "Daisuke-san, isn't it a little too early to return? We're expecting you for at least five more hours!" it's rare for the caravans to return right at midnight, especially with yokai threats constantly being a possibility.

Daisuke flashes the guard a comforting grin, he gestures his head over to the armored man, crossing his arms. "You can thank our outsider for that. The little miss with him helped too, she healed those who're injured in the middle of an attempted Yamabito raid."

The other guard looks flabbergasted, nearly dropping his composed expression. "A Y-Yamabito raid…? How did you survive it?" it's no secret that Yamabitos always raid in a group, maybe even groups. So, it's surprising to even see Daisuke unhurt.

"Caa-taah over there is good with a sword, very good." He nods as if to prove his point. "He also knows magic and I'm damn grateful that he does. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here right now. We had a giant one on our hides, and he dealt with it easily. Guy's more than good."

The two guards look amazed, if not interested to see how skillful the swordsman really is. But for now, they have a job to do.

"I see. Then please, go on ahead. I assume that you're bringing them to Keine-sama?" The first guard asks.

"Yes, she oughta be busy even at this hour right? I swear, woman never sleeps…" the middle aged man mutters quietly.

"Then go ahead, Daisuke-san, we'll have the others park the caravans and feed the horse while you're away."

"Thank you.

Daisuke returns to the two outsiders, giving the okay. When passing the two guards, Carter could feel Katharina's grip on his gauntlets getting even stronger. She's more timid than afraid, quiet than unsociable. She's that kind of child; not really an introvert, extremely kind but always looking for a chance to make friends. They cross the gates and enter the village. Carter and Katharina are greeted with unfamiliar buildings structure, different writings on boards. From seeing Daisuke's group, people here are shorter, paler but more refined than your typical Burganlicht citizen, and it seems that the community here allows the possession of weapons; if the group of men Carter passes by earlier counts as proof, even though it's midnight.

All in all, it's a new experience for the both of them. Carter's sure that Katharina's eyes are looking at one thing and another repeatedly; the scenery is just a lot to take in, with most things clearly foreign yet accepting at the same time. A small gust of chilly wind sweeps past them, causing the young girl to shiver momentarily. A small squeeze of his hand is all it takes to comfort the princess, who in return smiles at him reassuringly.

Carter is reminded of his early years as a knight, when he was not guarding Katharina for the reason that she was away. Like many other in his position during that time, he was stuck in guard duty. But thankfully, he's not posted on the gates or anywhere boring like that. He's a street guard, tasked with civil protection and enforcing the rules of the Kingdom. Even though it's not as boring as getting posted somewhere random, it was still boring regardless. Thankfully, the streets of Burganlicht are filled with many kinds of interesting places like the market, community district, residencies and barracks for the Royal Guards.

Now there might be confusion between a Knight and Royal Guard. But believe it or not, technically, what he should be is in fact a Royal Guard. Originally, Royal Guards are the only ones tasked with the duty to protect royalties or nobles; but after Empress Karliah's rule as the Empress, the Knights are allowed to be used for private security for nobles who are willing to pay a better price. Knights are better trained, more experienced and efficient in dangerous combats; while this may hold true to some Royal Guards, not all of them are trained to be as good as knights in fighting. And that's exactly it. Nobles do not need people who are exceptionally good in fighting, they need people who could protect them from thieves, robbery or minor assault; other than that, those hired as security (regardless of being a Knight or a Royal Guard) are obliged to obey every order even to the most petty or downright ridiculous one.

Which is why Knights are not so keen on being charge of a noble's safety, they'll be treated like slaves. But not all gets treated like this, only most of them.

As they walk deeper into the village, the number of people carrying weapons increases. This must be the market district or something similar to it. The stands and vendors that are no doubt full during the morning, are placed neatly on the side of the road allowing access for people. . And now he's starting to understand why there are a lot of guards here; the place can be crowded, so very crowded. It's can be so crowded that he has no doubt that he grabbing Katharina's hand in order to prevent her from getting lost will be necessary. Daisuke seems considerate enough to lower his pace, so that they could follow. With so many guards in here, thieves or acts of robbery will have a low chance of happening. And since it is night, thieves will have to rethink of a better way to steal. Smart… it's too bad that they do not allow ordinary peasants to own swords, and that's if they could afford one.

The price of a sword is not expensive in itself. It's the costs that go along with it.

Customer is required to choose from a list of blacksmiths who have legal permits to own a forge or a smithy. Next, they will have to register their names in the records and pay a very small fee of one copper piece. After that, they will need to meet the smith and do transactions from there on. For additional fee, customers can give the smithy their own design for a blade or choose existing designs that the smithy has. The next step is to choose the materials for the build. Steel, iron or even rare ores like Orichalum, Mithral and Adamantine; of course the price depends on the rarity and quality of ores, the rarer the material the higher the price. After choosing their designs and materials, customer must pay the smithy whether straight up or in credit. Obviously, most would use credit since it is more budget friendly. However, should they be late in the payments, interests will be charge. Then begins the waiting process, once the blade is done, the smithy and the owner will need to register the blade in the barracks so that they could legalize the ownership. Until all of those are done, one cannot walk around the Kingdom with a sword in their scabbard.

All of this added with the waiting, indirect costs and interest rates seem hectic or troublesome to do. But believe it or not, there's actually an easier way to get swords.

Buy from a freaking shop.

It's cheaper, quicker, less complicated and you'll have the certificates ready. But the downsides are there. Shop weapons tend to have a very terrible quality due to poor management, which is why most weapons found in shops are rusty or close to breaking.

However, from the looks of it, where even people younger than him get to carry around swords, this place is very good at maintaining their economy. He must praise the authorities here. It's still a little bit strange to see so many armed guards in the middle of the night though.

"Carter… where are we going?" Katharina unknowingly snaps Carter's attention of his surrounding by making him focus his attention to her. "There are a lot of people here."

Carter nods, armor clinking with the movement. "Yes, indeed. But I still can't say for sure as to where we're going, princess. Should I ask our host?"

Katharina put some thoughts into his suggestion, before shaking her head in negative. "No, there's no need." She smiles. "Watching this many people is fun as it is."

Beneath his helmet, Carter dons the same smile Katharina is showing. She is a really nice girl. Other's happiness is her happiness too. She believes that all people deserves to be happy, one way or another. Yet at the same time, she also thinks that indiscretion and carelessness in living is something to be frowned upon. She cannot respect those who refuse to find jobs, people who drink their life away and those who drown themselves in pleasure and other worldly vices. She's that type of girl who likes it if things are done in moderation; he finds it really sweet and cute. No doubt, she will definitely become like her mother, if not better.

They continue the rest of the journey in silence, with the two outsiders admiring every single thing that they have never seen before. Carter also notices the stares and wary glance he's constantly receiving from the people around him. It seems that wearing a suit of armor in this place is not common practice.

Daisuke suddenly stops in the middle of his walk, prompting the two outsiders to follow his sudden action. The middle aged man turns his body, walking towards the tall armored man with his princess charge.

Daisuke starts to flash hand gestures. _"We. Arrive."_ He then does several more. _"Follow."_

Their destination is a large wooden building with the similar structure as the other buildings that Carter and Katharina have seen on their walk here. But, there's a difference with this one building. It's made out of darker wood, the size is also considerably bigger and Carter estimates that this building could fit one division of Knights inside, and it has this feeling of being one of the more important establishments in this place. If it helps, the presence of people entering and exiting the building might prove just how important this building is to the people here.

Not long later, they enter the building.

"So Daisuke-san… these two are outsiders?"

Both Carter and Katharina keep to themselves as they let the two sort things out.

A woman who wears a rather unique piece of headwear on her head is sitting behind a desk, currently in a conversation that the foreigners could never hope to understand with Daisuke.

"Yes they are, Keine-sama." Daisuke replies. "They speak a different language, and I've been communicating with the tall one in sign language."

The woman who is identified as Keine looks mildly surprised. "Oh is that so? That's interesting…" She eyes the two outsiders, who react a little bit when being subjected to her stare. "Outsiders they may be… their clothing is different from several of those we had earlier in the days."

Daisuke blinks for several times, just noticing the fact. "Now that you mentioned it… but they're still outsiders, regardless."

"Yes, that is true." Keine nods, somehow able to balance the hat she is wearing on her head.

"Another think, Keine-sama. They can use magic."

Keine is now surprised. She is not expecting for Daisuke to use the m word. Giving the man a skeptic look, Keine remains unsure. "Magic?"

Daisuke nods. "Yes, legit magic. The tall one, Caa-taah, is good with a sword too." he elaborates further. "On the way here, our caravan was attacked by Yamabitos. We managed to deal with a few of them, but there were just too many in the end. But mister magic user over there stepped in, killed an entire horde of them with only one slash of his sword before finishing the giant with a fancy lighting-fire magic spell or some kind."

Hearing Daisuke's explanation makes Keine's doubt slowly recede. It is unheard of for outsiders to possess powers, yet the testimony given to her by Daisuke could possibly be true. In fact, she has no gain by not trusting the man, after all, she can always ask the rest of the caravan folks for the story.

"The little missy also did a great job of healing the injured, by the way."

Keine blinks, as she sinks into a state of quietness. Communication with the two, other than hand gestures, is impossible. She will need to do something to remedy this. "There are injured?"

"Yeah, but I made sure that they're sent away for further diagnosis." Daisuke says. "But the both of them did heal the injured pretty well, so well that they fell asleep afterwards."

Keine eyes the foreigners again, the one in armor in particular. He does not seem like a magician or a witch… and he's carrying a sword. She will need to confirm some things… "Daisuke-san, can you please ask for him to demonstrate another of his magic for me?"

Daisuke knows that there must be a reason for Keine to do this, but since he is asked, he does it anyway.

" _Magic. Can. You. Show?"_

Carter receives the gestures, but instead of showing what Keine wants, he whispers words into Katharina's ears. The girl nods, recognition flooding her face. Carter steps forward, closer to the two locals. He extends his right arm, showing Keine the leather palm of his gauntlet. He utters, **"Schmieden: Langschwert."** Purple particles similar to dust begin forming in the air above it, slowly taking form and elongating into a solid longsword. The sword in the Knight's hand is different than the one in his scabbard. It is not really solid, since it is a magical construct. However, it looks like a standard longsword, with the cross hilt, round pommel and double edged blade. The blade shines under the little amount of light produced by the candle that lights the room.

Keine's eyes never leave the blade, she suddenly stands, causing the chair to rattle by her action. It is decided. She will have to figure out how to make these two understand their language, in order to make communication possible. "Daisuke-san, please tell him that he will be coming with me." Keine tells the man.

"Okay… but for what?" he can guess, but none of them are probably right.

"To introduce them to some people who can help."

Daisuke shrugs, from here, it's no longer his business.

" _You. Two. Will. Follow. Her."_

" _Why?"_

A shrug is Carter's answer.

The Knight sighs, he knows that things will get complicated eventually. "Princess, we will need to follow the lady. I do not really know why, but I'm assuming that it is important." He relays the message over to Katharina.

"Oh…" she seems a little put off on having to move again so suddenly. "I'm getting sleepy though…" she stifles a yawn. The short amount of sleep that they had in the caravan was not enough, and the disturbance with the monsters did not help either.

"Do you want me to carry you?"

Katharina's face instantly becomes red, she shakes her head furiously, making her look weird and cute at the same time. "N-NO! There's no need! I-I can walk by myself just fine, thank you very much!" she huffs, pouting.

Daisuke watches with interested eyes. _"Why?"_

" _I. Suggest. Carry. Kids. Sleepy."_

Daisuke lets out a laugh, which increases Katharina's embarrassment even further.

* * *

Keine has lived a very long life, granted that it's not as long as her yakitori grilling friend, it is still long regardless. Even from a Halfling's perspective, more than eighty years is long. Keine has two jobs, and they are all very simple contextually. Her first job is to act as the Human Village's protector, protecting it from any threats that come from outside and even inside. Youkais are not so much of a problem anymore, they'd think twice than to mess with her, a village full of armed humans and the Hakurei Shrine Maiden who lives several distances away from the large settlement. Dangers do not only come from the outside, sometimes, within the village alone can be dangerous. Though the case of murder is low, very low, it happened and she has to make sure that it won't ever happen again.

Her next job is being a teacher. A way different outlet from her first one. She is tasked with teaching History, the History of Gensokyo and also snippets from the world outside. Compared to her first one, this job is less dangerous but nonetheless tiring. In fact, she's taught people longer than she has protected the village's walls. Teaching is her passion, it have always been. She finds joy in sharing educational values, knowledge and teaching people; she thinks that it's a job worthy of praise, respect and time to do it.

Gensokyo has several cases of outsiders being transported here, otherwise they wouldn't come up with a term for them. Most of them, from time to time, spoke a whole different language than the locals; but there are also those who spoke in the same tongue as they do here. It's safe to say that those outsiders, the ones who can communicate, were Japanese. And those who couldn't were not Japanese. And Keine can already say that these two are not Japanese.

" _You. Two. Okay?"_

Keine has to make sure that they are willing to talk, for the reason that she could know that they are cooperative. Keine sees with certain warmness in her eyes the sight of the tall man garbed in black armor, sitting beside a sleeping girl on the back of the carriage. He nods his head once, giving her a reply.

Keine nods in return, returning to the road up ahead. She is not sure whether the two are capable of flight, so she rented a small carriage to take them to their destination. She's not one to meddle with the affairs of Youkais or other beings that is not humans; but this situation they have is important.

The people of the Scarlet Devil Mansion must know a little thing or two about spells that can make these two understand their language. Contrary to what the humans in the village may believe, the folks there are not so bad. The only trouble they've caused was the Scarlet Mist Incident, and that was a long time ago. Keine has even been inside of the mansion several times as a tutor for the little sister. She must say, she misses the little vampire's enthusiasm and joy.

Normally, she wouldn't go so far as to get two outsiders to understand their language, they would be sent home as soon as they end up in the village by the Hakurei Shrine Maiden. However, something tells her that these two are more than just outsiders. Daisuke's explanation in the village was only of little help, she will need to hear it directly from them. And in order to do that, she will need them to speak or at least understand the language here.

Their journey to the mansion will definitely take time, added with the fact that the moon is still up high in the sky, Keine doesn't feel really safe.

Only certain people know of her condition, and thank the Gods that it's not a full moon.

She parks the carriage right in front of a large lake, before using the small row boat in order to navigate to the other shore. Carter does the rowing, seeing that it's only polite for him to do that. Keine tells him to just row straight ahead, not minding the mist. Even with all the rowing, it's still a surprise that the sleeping princess is still in the state she's in right now. Rowing to the other shore does not take long, they exited the boat immediately, proceeding with the journey on foot.

Carter is now carrying a sleeping princess on his arms, carrying her with both of his arms in a bridal carry position. From here onwards, Keine takes point once again, leading them through the forest.

After a silent journey, their destination is already on sight.

It's a large castle, Carter can only assume of it being that. However, with how short the walls and small the gate is, it gives off the feeling of just being a very large mansion. Carter has seen ridiculously large residence back at home, but none of them have their own personal clock tower. The building itself is large, blocky and bulk; it really does its job of making it look like a place that could house many people. He's also noticed that red must be the color of the people that lives here.

He thinks that… but the moment they approach the gate, they are greeted by a sleeping girl dressed in green. She has red hair though.

"Meiling, Meiling?"

Meiling, the woman in green, wakes up from her dozing sleep. She seems startled at first at the sight of Keine being right in front of her, but she regains her consciousness and manages to keep her reflex in check.

"Ah… eh? Keine-san? What are you doing here?" The woman with the green beret with a golden star embezzled on the front part notices the small party behind the blue wearing woman. "Aaaand who is he?" Meiling will not lie if she is asked whether or not the tall armored person intimidates her. He looks like a moving variant of the empty suits of armor from inside the mansion.

"They are with me, Meiling." Keine reassures the gate guard with a small smile. "They are outsiders, and I need the help of a certain member in your household with something."

Meiling has been doing this job for a long time, so she knows immediately what Keine really means. "Is that so… but the only ones awake are the mistress, the little mistress and Sakuya-san; are you really sure you want to enter anyway?"

"I'm sure." A strong nod of conviction comes from Keine. "This is important."

"I see…" the red haired woman mutters. "Then please enter, Keine-san. Just… eh… make sure that your friends don't do anything funny inside."

"Of course, Meiling."

Carter follows Keine into the mansion after having the front gates opened for them. Inside, he lets the teacher lead once again.

Carter is greeted by familiar items, decoration and designs. He's starting to feel like home the moment he enters the mansion. Albeit creepy and haunting it may be, it's the closest kind of home he can get from this foreign place. It seems that everything here is different from the way they are decorated from the ones in the village. Chairs, paintings, carpets… it's all familiar to him, and Katharina too if she's not sleeping right now. He can appreciate the owner's likeness to the color red, but it wouldn't hurt to tone it down a little, would it not?

They walk through halls, make small intersections and turns before eventually ending up in a large library. There are a lot of shelves containing a lot of books, the small of paper and dust is pungent in the air, so strong that even Carter can smell them through his helmet. As expected from a place like this, the library is just as grand as the halls. A large chandelier hangs from the ceiling, its brilliance shining with lit candles placed inside to provide illumination for this already dimly lit place. Carter is awed, not even the library in the castle is this grand.

Keine does not have to walk further into the maze they call library, because a figure floats over towards them, and its presence brings alarm to Carter's mind.

"A devil…?"

Said 'devil' raises her eyebrows. "Oh? Someone who _almost_ got it right… this is interesting." She smiles, and though it's charming, Carter cannot bring himself to like her.

The woman is another red haired woman. But unlike the one guarding the gate, she is dressed in completely different attire. She wears a white collared long sleeved shirt with a red tie keeping her collar neat, a black vest is worn over it all. She wears a matching black skirt and a pair of black shoes. The features that identify her as being a non-human are the two bat like wings on her head and another pair on her back.

"You can understand him?" Keine asks.

The red haired devil's attention is shifted to the blue haired woman, nodding her head once. "Yes I could. As a Succubus, a sub species in the line of devils, we are gifted with the ability to speak in many tongues. He assumed that I was a devil, but I'm not really one."

"Can you ask him who he is?"

Koa looks at the teacher weirdly. "You brought him and the girl here without knowing who they are?"

Keine shakes her head. "I just want to know."

"Fine then." Koa redirects her attention back to the armored man who is carrying the sleeping beauty in his arms. "What is your name? And hers too?" Koa begins speaking in a language that Keine has no knowledge or whatsoever, she can only assume that she is asking his name.

Carter is still wary, but he allows himself to relax. "I'm Carter, and this is Katharina."

Koa, having found out their name, relays it over to Keine. "He said that his name is Carter and the girl's Katharina… not a very weird name, if you ask me." then again, they could not help but get a little bit lost in translation.

Keine nods, feeling glad that she can now confirm their names. But she remembers her original objective here. "Koa, is Patchouli up yet? I need to know if she could do something about their language problem."

Koa unfortunately shakes her head in negative. "I'm afraid that Patchouli-sama is not awake yet, Keine-san. She is not like the mistress, after all."

Keine may be persistent, but she is not rude. "I see… how long will we have to wait for her to wake up?"

"None at all."

A different voice interrupts the question. Carter turns his head and is greeted by the approaching form of another woman dressed in a purple pajama who has purple hair herself. "Out of all the time you could come to me, you chose now? I have a serious case of worry for your health, Halfling."

Keine crosses her arms, flicking a lock of her hair with a little bit of sass. "Were-Hakutaku never sleeps, Patchouli… we find it harder than most people to do that."

Patchouli nods, shrugging her shoulders lightly. Her bag filled eyes would roll, but there's no need for her to do that. "Acceptable." She walks over to the group, leaning over to the dark Knight. She eyes him from top to bottom, not minding the sleeping girl on his arms. "Tell me, Knight, is your armor blessed?"

Carter is a little bit surprised to hear her speak in his language. "Yes, it is. Are you a mage?"

Patchouli shakes her head. "Not by profession, if that's what you're asking… I'm a magician by species."

A magician by species? He has never heard of it before… while magicians, witches, warlocks and wizards are common profession to those who dabbles with the arcane, he has never heard of someone being a magician in species itself.

"If your armor's blessed, it explains why you're not feeling disturbed the moment you enter the mansion. Are you under the command of a certain Holy Order?"

Carter is continually pressed with more questions, but he's more surprised at how well she's asking him. "Not really. The Ministry is different from the Order, the Knights are allied with them, but they have their own military figures called the Papal Guards. But sometimes, we are required to spend time in the chantry to restore Faith."

Patchouli nods, all the while muttering, "Interesting… Interesting…" Thankfully for Keine, Patchouli is quick to return her attention back to her. "So Keine, what's your purpose in here?"

"I want to know if it's possible for them to understand the language here. It will be much easier for them to communicate with us." Keine states her reason. But being a little bit experienced with people like Patchouli, she expects several questioning from the woman.

"For that reason only? Nothing more? Woman, if you can communicate with them from the start then why not stick with that? And is it not possible to directly send these two back to the outside world?" Patchouli is spitting out questions faster than she can read. And she can read fast. Very fast.

Keine is actually expecting deeper questions, but these will be easier to answer. "I know that this might seem crazy or plain absurd, but I suspect them to come from a different version of the outside world." Her conclusion has brought the normally lazy faced Patchouli raise her eyebrows. "The way they dressed is way different from the outsiders that have been popping up here ever since a few months ago and I know for a fact that they do not wear suits of armor anymore in their society."

Carter can only watch in interest as the woman in purple is placed into a deep thinking trance. Whatever the hat wearing woman might have said, it causes her to think that much and deep.

Patchouli has placed the book she has been carrying on a nearby shelf. What Keine says got her thinking deeply, as it opens up the closed doors in her mind. "Time shifting rifts… or past relics… no, no, no… a possible alternate dimension then…" her eyes land on the Knight quickly, too quickly for his comfort. "Yes, yes… these are possible…"

Carter is approached by the purple woman again.

"What is the name of the place that you came from?" Patchouli asks, seriously.

Carter then answers without hesitation, saying, "Burganlicht. The Kingdom of Burganlicht."

"Continent? Or something similar to that."

"If you mean the world I came from, we call it the Far Mundus." Carter answers, his voice echoing from within the helmet he is wearing. "Why is it necessary to ask me these questions?"

"She," Patchouli gestures to Keine. "thinks that you two came from a whole different world. Gensokyo, this world's name, is already a whole new world for people who lives outside of this place. I won't go into deeper explanations about Gensokyo, you will have to ask her" she is referring to Keine again. "later. Now, I'm going to cast a spell on the both of you; and I require the girl to be awake."

Carter begins to get defensive, taking a quick step back, bringing the sleeping Katharina away from the magician. "Clarify your intentions, what do you mean you're going to cast a spell on us?" there's not really any hostility in his tone, just paranoia and suspicion. Normal, considering the circumstances he and the girl are in.

"She wants you to understand the language that the local folks here speak, not all people here can speak the language that you speak; it's only due to my status as a magician and Koa's as a lesser devil that we are capable of understanding you." Patchoul elaborates, while making several books float around her. "I give you my word that it will not hurt you nor the girl, all I ask is you let me do my job properly."

In any normal circumstances, Carter would have refused with outright conviction. He is not going to let a magician put a spell on him or Katharina for that matter. However, seeing that her explanation makes some sense, and knowing the language here can actually be a useful perk; he decides to go with it.

"Thank you, if you would please." Patchouli begins to make the books she have floating open themselves in different pages.

Carter kneels, so that he can wake Katharina without the risk of her falling from his arms. The girl opens her eyes, she is about to ask their whereabouts, but Carter silences her with his finger. "The magician over there is about to cast a language barrier breaking spell for us, please do not fret princess, I will be here."

After having heard his answer, Katharina nods slowly, still registering the fact that they are indeed at a different place. Did she really fell asleep for that long?

"Magician, we're ready." Carter gives Patchouli the sign that they are prepared. And Patchouli immediately responds by chanting.

Her chanting is in another language that neither Carter nor Katharina understands, but the magical energy swirling around them is enough proof for Carter to know that she is in fact a very strong magician. The strong magical energy became more than a small gust of wind; it spins rapidly, gathering into a small tempest of mana that both Carter and Katharina can feel very well. Despite the large amount of energy summoned, Carter is amazed at how stable the magician is controlling it. Several purple magical wards, or barriers begin to form in the air; coming out from the books that they have been summoned from. Carter watches as a large magic circle appears underneath his and Katharina's feet. It glows a bright red color, similar to blood.

"Tălmăci!"

Red and purple envelopes their form, covering Carter and Katharina. Then, they disappear, fading away light the distant evening sky. Then simultaneously, everything dies down, returning into its previous state of quietness.

Patchouli's books floats back down for Koa to pick them up, the purple wearing magician approaches the two outsiders, eager to ask them if there's result. "So, can you understand me?" she speaks.

Carter nods, Katharina doing the same. "But I don't feel anything different, do you feel anything different, princess?" he asks his charge.

"No. No I do not." Katharina says softly.

"Well, it worked regardless." Patchouli nods, satisfied with her work. "I'm talking to you with the language used by the local folks here; try speaking to Keine if you won't believe me."

The mentioned history teacher walks up to the group, eager to introduce herself. The first thing she does is bowing her head, again, passively showing her balancing skill. "I'm sorry for bringing you here so suddenly and end up tiring the both of you, but you should understand that something has to be done." She speaks with politeness in her voice that could rival several well trained nobles from the Kingdom, Katharina knows this.

"It is fine. It should be us apologizing since we have taken much of your time." Katharina returns the gesture, doing a small curtsey. "Carter and I are grateful, and we would like to thank you for taking our situatuion into consideration."

Daisuke did not lie when he said that the girl is a princess. Such sincere politeness coming out from her mouth makes even Keine feel a little shy when talking to her. The teacher shakes her head, dismissing the display of politeness towards her. "It was nothing; any normal person would have done the same in my position."

Carter lifts himself from a kneeling position, standing back up on his two feet. His armor clatters as he shakes his head. "We don't doubt it. The people here have proven to be such a friendly bunch, we are glad to have been under their care."

"Ahem." Patchouli dislikes it when no one is paying attention to her when they're inside their library. Koa passes by to return the books back to where they belong, and the librarian of the mansion sees this chance to exploit more of the current situation. "If you do not mind, can you tell us a little bit more about yourselves? It will be interesting for me to know about this unusual and rare occurrence where special outsiders found themselves in Gensokyo."

Keine follows up with her own statement. "The same reason for me. I will need to record your names down anyway, so this will be like killing two birds with one stone."

"Of course… but where to start…" Katharina mutters, unknowingly to have averted her gaze downwards. "It all happened so sudden, the next thing we know… we're already in a forest somewhere."

"Please, let us resume the conversation over tea." Patchouli beckons for her familiar and assistant. "Koa, prepare us five cups of tea. With all that magic I let out earlier, she's bound to enter any moment from now."

The sound of doors creaking open is heard.

And this time, Patchouli cannot restrain herself from rolling her eyes. "Speak of the devil…"

"…And she shall appear."

Yet another different voice, entering just at the perfect timing. Standing right in front of the library's opened doors is a young girl who is barely on her early teens, short yet defined by the clothes she's wearing, emitting an aura of extreme charisma by her mere presence alone. She walks towards them with an elegant posture and mannerism, it reminds Katharina of the way her senior tutor would walk whenever practice is in session. She wears a garment primarily consisting of light pink and purple, it gives off a nice gradient and contrast with her bluish purple hair. Though short and young looking, there's really no explaining the pair of bat-like wings on her back; this alerts the Knight, yet he caught sight of the silver cross hanging down from her neck.

"A vampire…" he cannot restrain himself from unintentionally blurting out the word. It gets the personal attention from the girl herself.

"Oh?" she smiles, showing him the two fangs poking down her lips. "Was it so obvious?" she has walked far enough to be closer to the Knight. "Tell me, was it the wings, the cross, or the presence?" she asks, the smile showing no signs of disappearing. It's a mixture of amusement and cheek, one that gives Carter bad vibes.

The Knight does not answer, if anything, he's tense.

"I shall assume your silence as the result of my overwhelming presence." She haughtily declares, showing a proud smirk. "But before anything else, let me introduce myself." She does a full bow, stretching the corner of her dress lightly, and her left leg extended and bent slightly. "My name is Remilia Scarlet. I am the mistress of this mansion and will be your host starting from today." She raises her head, seeing the surprised look on everyone's faces except for the Knight's. "It would be a pleasure for me to listen along to your tales."

Carter has unknowingly brought Katharina into the Devil's house…

And they're going to be staying in it.

* * *

 **Please don't be shy to tell me what do you think of the story in the reviewer's section. And have a nice day or night.**


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